JOHN, a learned and laborious writer, was born at Loofdun, near the Hague, in 1579. He early discovered a fondness for polite literature and the sciences; and went to study law at Orleans with the son of Barneveldt, whom he accompanied in his travels. In 1610 he was made professor of history at Leyden, and afterwards Greek professor. In the following year, the magistrates of the United Provinces proved how high their opinion was of his abilities, by fixing on him to write the history of his country. Meurinus married in the year 1612. His wife, Anna Catherina Bilberbeccia, descended from a very ancient and noble family in Angermund a city of Pomerania, possessed many amiable qualities, and rendered his domestic life remarkably happy, while he discharged the duties of his professorship with an assiduity equal to his abilities. At the same time the republic of letters did not lose the advantages to be derived from his labours; for during the fourteen years of his residence at Leyden, the works which he published were more numerous than those which had been presented to the world by the whole body of professors from the original foundation of the university in 1575.

Meurinus's writings had now spread his reputation in every part of Europe; nor was the fame of his diligence and talents as a professor less known. In so high a rank, indeed, did he stand among his literary contemporaries, that Christian IV, king of Denmark conferred on him the place of historiographer royal, and invited him to undertake the professorship of history and politics in the academy of Sora, which was founded by King Frederick II., although the revival of its honours and dignities may be dated from this period, when it seemed to be again founded under the auspices of Christian IV. Meurinus and his family left Leyden in the year 1635. On his arrival at Sora, he was received with the most friendly tokens of regard by his majesty and the Danish nobility, and more particularly by Chancellor Rolenkrantz, on whom he has bestowed very ample praises in one of his letters. Here he resided, equally beloved and admired, for above twelve years. His pupils were not very numerous, but his exertions never relaxed. Those hours likewise which were not devoted to the duties of his professorship, he employed in reviling the works of the ancients and in philological disquisitions.

His health did not suffer by the intenseness of application, till in the year 1638 he had a violent attack of the stone, from which disorder he had suffered severely. In a letter to Voissius he thus describes his melancholy condition: "The state of my health during the whole of the last winter has been truly deplorable. My sufferings from the stone have been really Meurifus really dreadful. I have voided so many, that the repeated discharges brought on a wound which emitted blood for above four months. I was next attacked by a tertian fever, which increased constantly, and produced an universal latitude of body, a dejection of spirits, and a total loss of appetite. But, thank heaven, I have now in some measure recovered my strength, and gotten the better of these complaints." He recovered from this attack; but in the following year the disorder returned with redoubled violence, and brought on a consumption which terminated his existence on the 20th day of September 1639. He left behind him a son who was named after him, and one daughter.

So mild were the dispositions of Meurifus, that in all his writings he constantly avoided literary disputes. He was sometimes unavoidably drawn into them; but constantly endeavoured to promote a reconciliation rather than widen any breach, by his replies to the attacks of his adversaries. In his friendships he was firm and affectionate. Of his domestic life, whatever is known has been gathered from his letters. The same easy tranquillity seems to have attended him in every situation. In his family he was particularly fortunate. In his son, to whom he gave his own name, he seemed to behold his own youth renewed. The same application, the same eagerness in the pursuit of knowledge, marked the conduct of this promising young man; who did not long survive his father, but died soon after he had recommended himself to the notice of the learned world by his publications. They were only three in number; but displayed so much solid learning, that they have been assigned to the father, John Meurifus, by l'Abbé Beughem and others. This mistake was occasioned as much by the multiplicity of their names, as by the nature of their works, and their manner of treating philological subjects.

His works may be divided into four classes, of which each might form a separate volume if they were ever to be republished. Meurifus himself indeed, in one of his letters to Voelius, proposes such a division. From that epistle, and from another which the younger Meurifus sent to G. J. Voelius, who strongly advised him to republish the whole of his father's writings, and from the collections of his posthumous works which have appeared from Struvinus, Grochupius, Moller, and some others, a catalogue of his works might be formed. Some assistance will also be derived from the indexes published in their respective works, by Hankins, Desfelius, Wettenuis, and Bartholomius. The plan which Meurifus recommends for publishing his works, is to insert in the first volume all that he has written relative to Athens; in the second, his historical pieces; in the third, his miscellaneous dissertations; and in the fourth, the various authors which he published, with his notes and corrections.

A scandalous and indecent work, which is entitled "Meurifus elegantiae Latini sermonis," and has "Aloisia Sigae Satyrae Sotadicae" annexed to it, is very falsely attributed to Meurifus; nor indeed are the Satires with more reason assigned to Aloisia Sigae, who was a Spanish lady eminent for her piety and virtue. The real author of these infamous productions was Westrenius, an advocate at Copenhagen, who probably assumed the name of Meurifus, in order to shield himself from the disgrace which would naturally have attended the writer of such a performance.